A pilot study on the use of 3D printers in veterinary medicine

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) is the process of joining materials to create layer-by-layer three-dimensional objects using a 3D printer from a digital model. The great advantage of Additive Manufacturing is to allow a freer design than traditional processes. The development of additive manufacturing processes has permitted to optimize the production of the customized product through the modeling of the geometry and the knowledge of the morphometric parameters of the body structures. 3D printing has revolutionized the field of Regenerative Medicine because, starting from computerized tomography (CT) images and using traditional materials such as plastic and metals, it can provide customized prostheses for each patient, which adapt perfectly to the needs of the subject and act as structures support. 3D printing allows you to print three-dimensional porous scaffolds with a precise shape and chemical composition suitable for medical and veterinary use. Some of these scaffolds are biodegradable and appear to be ideal for bone tissue engineering. In fact, they are able to simulate extracellular matrix properties that allow mechanical support, favoring mechanical interactions and providing a model for cellular attachment and in vivo stimulation of bone tissue formation.

3D printing: a novel technology for livestock sector knowledge dissemination

“…At the University of Perugia, a complex-shaped, 3D model for a personalized prosthesis for a German shepherd dog suffering from a condition of lumbosacral degenerative stenosis and suspected of degenerative hip joint disease was developed using the pelvic CT scan. Resultantly, an interesting distribution of the stress concentration of the prosthesis was observed, making it obvious that this measurement methodology represents an innovative system for the evaluation of points that are less resistant to physical stress and interface failure (Leonardi et al , 2021). Kropla et al (2023) created an image of the bone flap with a hand-held 3D scanner during surgery and found that with knowledge of 3D post-processing and design, an implant can be created.…”